For the first time since he suffered a fractured foot last season, wide receiver Julio Jones was seen at work during an Atlanta Falcons practice. At Wednesday's OTA session, which was open to the media, Jones stretched with his teammates, did some drills on a side field with the training staff and ran a few routes by himself.

"Julio's been out here all throughout our offseason program," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. "He's been working on the side with our athletic performance staff, like a number of guys. We've got a handful of guys that have not been cleared to practice. We're optimistic about all our guys. We like the way they're working not only in the field but how they're working in the training room as well."

Jones was a high school standout at Foley before going on to play at Alabama.

Smith has said the Falcons don't plan to integrate Jones into their offseason program until training camp with an eye toward having him healthy for Atlanta's season-opening game against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7.

"At what point in time do you say he's back?" Atlanta wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie said. "Just after I see him go to work and practice and, all of a sudden, I look up, and we're playing the New Orleans Saints. When it's opening day and he catches one down the sideline and takes off and go, he's back for me.''

Coming off a Pro Bowl season, Jones played in only five games last year before fracturing his left foot in a game against the New York Jets on Oct. 7. When he went down, Jones led the NFL with 41 receptions and ranked second with 580 receiving yards.

Atlanta's other Pro Bowl wide receiver, former UAB star Roddy White, remains absent from OTAs. Smith said he expected White back next week. White's half-brother, Tyrone Moore Jr., was shot and killed in Charleston, S.C., on May 17.

Atlanta has its final set of OTAs next week on June 10-13 before a mandatory minicamp June 17-19.